The present invention relates to a cover apparatus for a terminal in a compressor which is used for a cooling apparatus, for example, a refrigerator, a show case, an air conditioner and the like.
Conventionally, a terminal connected to an internal motor is provided on an outer surface of a shell in a compressor employed for this kind of cooling apparatus, and a cluster for feeding a power to the motor is connected to this terminal. Further, a starting relay, an overload relay operating by a detection of temperature in the compressor, a temperature switch and the like are arranged close to the cluster.
When electrical parts such as the cluster, the starting relay, the overload relay and the like, and the terminal itself are exposed to a water, a disadvantage such as a closed-circuit failure, a corrosion or the like is generated. Accordingly, there has been conventionally mounted a cover which covers the terminal and the electrical parts, as shown in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2-33478.
However, since a cover main body (called an electric parts cover in the publication mentioned above) is held in the compressor by applying a clip (called a wire band in the same publication) from an outer side of the cover main body and engaging the clip with a fence (called as a bracket) in the compressor so as to press to cover main body it is troublesome to engage the clip with the fence.
Further, since a whole of the clip is positioned in an outer side of the cover main body, it is unavoidable that a whole shape becomes large. The publication proposes a method of mounting the cover main body without using the clip mentioned above, however, there is a problem in view of strength and it is impossible to employ the method.
A conventional clip 122 is shown in FIG. 14. The clip 122 holds a cover (not shown in FIG. 14) from an outer side and is formed in a shape as shown in FIG. 14, and has a press portion 139, arm portions 141 bent to an inner side from both ends of the press portion and engagement portion 142 further bent to an inner side from front ends of the arm portions 141. In the case of the shape mentioned above, since a restoring force of a steel rod constituting the clip 122 is applied in a direction of moving the engagement portions 142 and 142 apart from each other, the engagement portion 142 is always exposed to the restoring force in a direction in which the engagement is canceled.
The present invention is made in order to solve the conventional technical problems mentioned above, and an object of the present invention is to make a mounting operation easy and intend a compact structure in a cover apparatus for a terminal having a structure which holds the cover main body to a compressor by using a clip.
The cover apparatus for the terminal in accordance with the present invention is structured such as to cover a terminal provided in a compressor and electrical parts connected to the terminal, comprising:
a cover main body for covering the terminal and the electrical parts; and
a clip for holding the cover main body to the compressor, the clip having an elasticity,
wherein the cover main body has a pass portion formed in an inner portion, the clip has a press portion, an insertion portion extended from the press portion and an engagement portion formed in the insertion portion, the insertion portion of the clip is inserted within the pass portion of the cover main body, the engagement portion is detachably engaged with a fence provided in the compressor in adjacent to the terminal due to an elasticity, and the press portion is brought into contact with an outer surface of the cover main body in this state so as to press the cover main body to a side of the compressor.
In accordance with the present invention, since the structure is made such that in the cover apparatus for the terminal which covers the terminal provided in the compressor and the electrical parts connected to the terminal, the cover apparatus is provided with the cover main body for covering the terminal and the electrical parts, and the clip for holding the cover main body to the compressor, the clip having an elasticity, the cover main body has the pass portion formed in the inner portion, the clip has the press portion, the insertion portion extended from the press portion and the engagement portion formed in the insertion portion, the insertion portion of the clip is inserted within the pass portion of the cover main body, the engagement portion is detachably engaged with the fence provided in the compressor in adjacent to the terminal due to the elasticity, and the press portion is brought into contact with the outer surface of the cover main body in this state so as to press the cover main body to a side of the compressor, it is possible to reduce a size of a whole of the clip and the cover main body, in comparison with the conventional mounting structure which applies the whole of the clip from the outer side of the cover main body so as to engage with the fence, by being used in the compressor. Further, since the insertion portion of the clip is inserted to the pass portion of the cover main body so as to engage the engagement portion with the fence, an engaging operation of the fence with the clip becomes easy and secure.
Further, in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a cover apparatus for a terminal as recited in the above, wherein a projection which is engaged before the engagement portion of the insertion portion inserted to the pass portion is engaged with the fence is formed within the pass portion.
In accordance with this invention, since the projection which is engaged before the engagement portion of the insertion portion inserted to the pass portion is engaged with the fence is formed within the pass portion, in addition to the matter mentioned above, it is possible to integrally form the cover main body with the clip by inserting the insertion portion of the clip within the pass portion of the cover main body and engaging the engagement portion with the projection. Accordingly, in the subsequent mounting operation, it is possible to hold the cover main body to the compressor only by applying the integrated structure to the terminal, next pressing the clip so as to cancel the engagement between the engagement portion and the projection and engaging the engagement portion with the fence, and a mounting operability is further improved.
Further, in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a cover apparatus for a terminal as recited in each of the inventions mentioned above, wherein an exposure portion in which at least a part of the insertion portion of the clip inserted within the pass portion is exposed to an external portion is formed in the pass portion.
In accordance with this invention, since the exposure portion in which at least a part of the insertion portion of the clip inserted within the pass portion is exposed to the external portion is formed in the pass portion, in addition to each of the inventions mentioned above, it is possible to cancel the engagement between the engagement portion and the fence by inserting a tool such as a screwdriver or the like within the pass portion from the exposure portion and deforming the insertion portion of the clip. Accordingly, it is easy to execute an operation of detaching the cover main body at a time of maintenance or the like. Further, since a state of the insertion portion can be seen from the exposure portion, it is possible to check out the engagement state between the engagement portion and the fence.
Further, in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a cover apparatus for a terminal as recited in each of the inventions mentioned above, wherein a shape of the cover main body is formed in a shape being along an outer shape of the terminal.
In accordance with this invention, since the shape of the cover main body is formed in the shape being along the outer shape of the terminal, in addition to each of the inventions mentioned above, it is possible to more effectively prevent a water or a dust from intruding into the terminal while making the cover main body further compact.
Further, in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a cover apparatus for a terminal as recited in each of the inventions mentioned above, wherein the clip is structured such that a press portion, a pair of insertion portions extending to an inner side from both ends of the press portion and engagement portions protruding to an outer side from front ends of the respective insertion portions are formed by bending a straight metal member, and the respective engagement portions are engaged with the fence from an inner side of the fence.
In accordance with this invention, since the clip is structured such that the press portion, a pair of insertion portions extending to the inner side from both ends of the press portion and the engagement portions protruding to the outer side from the front ends of the respective insertion portions are formed by bending the straight metal member, and the respective engagement portions are engaged with the fence from the inner side of the fence, in addition to each of the inventions mentioned above, a restoring force which the metal member constituting the clip is going to restore is applied in a direction of engaging the engagement portion with the fence. Accordingly, it is possible to stably maintain a mounting state of the clip to the fence over the long term. Further, since the clip is formed in the shape mentioned above, it is possible to obtain an effect that the clips are hard to intertwine with each other, in comparison with the structure in which the engagement portion is protruded to the inner side.
Further, in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a compressor comprising a terminal to which electrical parts are connected,
wherein the terminal and the electric parts are covered by the cover apparatus for the terminal mentioned above.